Alex injects new blood for England as Ox proves able deputy for injured Walcott

A hiding to nothing said Steven Gerrard with that sense of gloom the England captain sometimes specialises in. Gerrard has been here before and the jeers have pierced his ears, but there was something about Roy Hodgson’s manner that suggested he was rather looking forward to this.

Hodgson is a logical man and here was a game he was never going to lose; a glorified training exercise in the guise of a competitive fixture.

In short, a coach’s dream if you go about it in the right way and carry a bit of good fortune. The boss purred as he looked on from the touchline, hands clasped behind his back in satisfaction.

Easy does it: England romped to victory over San Marino after scoring eight past the minnows

There had been the chance to fiddle and experiment with a few things, with Montenegro in mind, but it went better than anyone dared imagine.

The points were secure very early on, that was the key, and there were offerings of encouragement in all the right areas, albeit against the world’s worst team.

Then there was the chance to rest people for the hop across the Adriatic Sea. In the absence of injured wingers, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was sharp and inventive and displayed an intuitive link with Wayne Rooney. Ashley Young scored for the first time this season with a strike that would have beaten a professional keeper.

A goal for Rooney will have lifted him too, ahead of a return to the scene of his Montenegrin meltdown, which in turn cost him the first two games of Euro 2012.

No sooner had Rooney nestled a free-kick into the corner than he was replaced. No sooner had Tom Cleverley been chopped down at the knee than he was replaced by Leon Osman.

Cool, calm, collected: Roy Hodgson had no reason to worry as his England side made light work of San Marino

Hodgson was able to react simply because his original plan had worked well. He crammed in goalscorers like Frank Lampard and Jermain Defoe and selected dribblers out wide in the hope they might wriggle a path through the massed ranks of Sammarinese.

Never mind the tree-lined slope behind the goal, transformed into a makeshift Kop by ticketless supporters, San Marino seemed to have planted 10 more across the penalty area and slung blue shirts on them.

Oxlade-Chamberlain was the only member of the team unborn when England first played San Marino in March 1993.

He was three months old when the teams met again, in Bologna, in November of the same year and Graham Taylor’s team conceded after less than eight seconds.

This time, he was the one making an explosive start, aware that here was a vital opportunity for him to impress Hodgson and remind him of the unpredictability he brings to the table.

Main man: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain impressed for England, scoring in the 8-0 rout

Theo Walcott will travel home today after pulling a groin muscle in training. With Aaron Lennon already injured, this was a chance for Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has found his appearances for Arsenal limited.

He has only scored once for the Gunners since his first international goal — against San Marino at Wembley in October — but he threatened Aldo Simoncini’s goal from the moment he lobbed the goalkeeper and rattled the woodwork in the opening minutes.

There was a goal to follow with his left foot, an assist for Defoe and a chance he laid on a plate for Daniel Sturridge, who managed to find a post with his header.

After his accelerated progress last year and his late sprint to inclusion in Hodgson’s squad for Euro 2012, this season has been a comparative struggle for Oxlade-Chamberlain from the moment he picked up an injury in the final pre-season game.

The 19-year-old did not expect to be in this squad but Hodgson has shown faith, refusing to drop him into Stuart Pearce’s squad, even though the Under-21s boss would like to take him to the European U21 Championships in Israel in the summer.

Able deputy: Joleon Lescott was never likely to be troubled at the heat of the England defence

It is bad news for Pearce but Hodgson was rewarded for his trust and looks set to keep him with the seniors.

He may play a role in Podgorica. It may be from the bench. But Oxlade-Chamberlain can expect to travel with the seniors on their tour to Brazil in June. If they finish it in time, perhaps he will feature in the Maracana where his father played in 1984.

Joleon Lescott and Chris Smalling in central defence will have been another area Hodgson was keen to keep his beady eye upon.

They offer a natural left-right combination and are both quick and strong in the air, but this was not a test of their defensive resolve. Instead, they were England’s play-makers, launching one attack after another.

Lescott ended the game as captain and his long pass to Leighton Baines on the left wing was the source of the first goal, converted by a central-defensive bank clerk. It may not have been the ultimate defensive test but if it helped generate a little understanding.

Wing wizard: Leighton Baines had the time and space to push forward during England's win

Baines spent most of the night on the overlap, outside Young. The left back’s instinct and delivery has found a high level of consistency. On the other side, Kyle Walker was not quite so successful.

It was a successful, if bruising night for Hodgson’s squad but no-one will be fooled. In Montenegro, the centurions, Cole and Gerrard, will return. It will be a very different occasion. Far more tense and hostile than the Serravalle, which seemed full of happy England fans.

There will be needle in Podgorica and Hodgson will hope Rooney, and everyone else for that matter, can resist it. He will hope, too, that his players have saved a goal or two.